


Evanescent

by iiccarus



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Alternate Universe - Photographer, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Angst, Detectives, F/F, Forensics, Gen, Murder, Murder Mystery, Supernatural Elements, lord knows she needs it, uhhhhhhh could someone get joohyun some xanax
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2019-09-22 23:33:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17069303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iiccarus/pseuds/iiccarus
Summary: Forensic photographer Kang Seulgi learns how bitter the taste of death truly is.orSeulgi learns that some stories live on in different people.





	1. chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning there will be graphic descriptions of murder.

 

Seulgi adjusted her camera strap as she wandered into a secluded clump of houses near the edge of town.

 

 

Blaring police sirens filled the town, with each echo, the more haunting it became; heavy winds whipped her jacket to the side as she approached a small group of officers.

 

 

A smaller woman turned, "Nice of you to join us Kang." 

 

 

Seulgi chuckled to herself quietly as the woman came to a sudden stop, her dark shoes digging into the loose dirt, sending dust flying into the air, "Well it's good to see you too." 

 

 

Joohyun huffed softly before giving her a firm smile, "I'm glad you're here."  

 

 

"Someone got murdered Joohyun." she teased as she walked with the woman back towards the crime scene.

 

 

"I know, I'm still glad to see you though."

 

 

They approached the crime scene and Joohyun calmly greeted a sterner looking woman who stood only a few feet away from the body. 

 

 

After a few moments of fluid conversation that involved the woman chuckling they were allowed in. 

 

 

Seulgi reflected her camera, her eyes sifted through the scene while her pupils expanded in an attempt to use the scarce light that shot through the leaves of a nearby tree. 

 

  

A woman looked to have been crumpled and tossed, her body sagged against the ground but her legs remained slightly bent. Her hands were curled into loose bloody fists, a familiar crimson dripped from her knuckles. Seulgi's eyes raised up to the woman's face, her mouth hung open as if one last scream had erupted from her throat. Her neck was raw and bruised, a thick stroke of red and purple was slashed across her throat and blended together to form a sickening yet all too familiar painting.

 

 

Even with the years Seulgi spent taking pictures of dead bodies, ones that were ripped and shredded into threads of weakened muscles and clumps of vibrant red tissue; and yet it all seemed like a speck of blood compared to horrors that seemed to ferment within the woman's body. Her stomach had been torn from side to side, her organs stewed within a pool of blood that poured over the edge and spilled onto the concrete. 

 

 

Seulgi closed her eyes for a second, a faint shard of disgust had rammed into her chest, it was the feeling that she had forgotten over the years of bruises and blood. 

 

 

Joohyun's voice whispered behind her, "Like a lamb-"

 

 

"To the slaughter," she interrupted quickly a faded smile stretching across her face. 

 

 

She playfully smacked the photographer's arm, "Go take your pictures and call me back when you're done."

 

 

"Have fun playing guard." Seulgi replied with a smirk.

 

 

She rolled her eyes before turning and walking away to deal with the growing crowd.

 

 

Seulgi fanned her face, attempting to push the nostril burning smell of death. She dropped her tripod to the ground, with three satisfying clicks of plastic colliding into concrete, she spun her camera on the tripod, adjusting her ISO and flash settings with a quick glance to the scene and back to her camera. She pulled a small ruler out of her bag and gently placed it close to the body. 

 

 

The click of the camera echoed through the cracks of their the quiet town, and it sounded like a twisted hybrid of a warning and a cry for help. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Seulgi felt a clap on her shoulder, and hot breath cloud around her nape, "Wanna get some food after this?"

 

 

Joohyun's eyes lingered on the photographer, half of her face was squished together, her right eye barely peeking out of a layer of her puffy cheek.

 

 

Seulgi pulled herself from the camera, turning to face to face her, "Sure, where do you wanna go?"

 

 

"There's this small soup shop near my apartment. We could go there."

 

 

A wide grin stretched across Seulgi's face, "I was hoping you would say soup-"

 

 

"Because it's your favorite." Joohyun said with a smile. 

 

 

She chuckled to herself quietly, "I mean you're not exactly wrong." 

 

 

"Detective Bae!" a voice shouted.

 

 

In a split second her face dropped, her smile pressed into a firm line, not giving anyone the slightest hint of what she was thinking, or even feeling. Her arms flew up to her chest holsters, pulling the leather over her shoulders, patting both guns before moving to her shirt, her thin fingers ran over each button, then they rubbed over each wrinkle in her white dress shirt. She tucked the looser ends back into her pants before turning to see a familiar journalist waving wildly.

 

 

Seulgi peered over Joohyun's shoulder, hiding a playful smile when she saw a younger girl run up to the detective.

 

 

"Hello Yerim," Joohyun said as she ran her fingers through the younger girl's hair, "were you sent down here?"

 

 

"No," she said with a thin sigh, "everyone in this fucking town wants stories about heroes who save cats in trees and happy endings and shit." 

 

 

"But I'm going to do my actual job and tell the people about the things that actually happen here." 

 

 

"So, what do you wanna know?"  

 

 

"As much as you can, and anything you haven't told anyone else." she replied quickly. 

 

 

Her hand dropped to her side as she bit her pale colored lips. 

 

 

"We're assuming it's a gang related crime, she has a tattoo that's being sent through the database, we'll know if it matches any local gangs. We don't know if she died from her stomach wound because she has severe bruising around her neck which suggests she was strangled at some point." 

 

 

Seulgi watched as Yerim wrote quickly in her book, her eyes flying from the notebook to Joohyun every few seconds.

 

 

"More?" she asked.

 

 

Joohyun shook her head, "And remember, you didn't get it from me."

 

 

Yeri nodded before saying a quick thanks and rushing off.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Seulgi raised the steaming noodles to her mouth, hot broth spilled over her lips and onto her tongue; she closed her eyes and smiled happily as she dumped more noodles into her mouth.

 

 

Joohyun shook her head as she laughed, the other woman turned, her eyes squinting as her cheeks fluffed forwards.

 

 

"You're always so messy." Joohyun scolded playfully as she gently moved her finger under Seulgi's lip, the younger woman froze her eyes widening as Joohyun's finger moved across her skin slowly.

 

 

She rubbed the broth onto a napkin as Seulgi stared, she began to chew slowly and swallowed the large lump of noodles as she continued to stare.

 

 

Her heartbeat thumped wildly against her chest, the influx of blood and racing endorphins forced a shaky breath out of her slightly parted lips.

 

 

The yellow tinted lighting blended in smoothly with Joohyun's barely tanned skin, she echoed the quiet beauty of an idol, her hair cascaded down her shoulders as her thin fingers tapped against the table, her eyes had a gentle shine to them despite them drowning in a sea of bloody murders and unsolved cases. 

 

 

She turned from the quiet woman and back to her bowl and she made sure to dab a napkin on her face occasionally.

 

 

She quickly turned back to see Joohyun placing a few won onto the counter but she quickly slid the money back towards her. 

 

 

"You don't have to do that." Seulgi raced to pull her wallet out of her pocket. 

 

 

Seulgi felt two hands clasp onto her shoulders, her eyes slowly raised from her slightly empty wallet to two dark brown eyes staring back at her, her lips while dull were plump and shined beautifully in the flickering yellow light, she leaned in closely before saying, "Consider it my gift for doing a great job today." 

 

 

 

The distant smell of the savory broth filled the air as Seulgi chuckled, a blazing heat had flushed into her cheeks and she could feel her cheeks turning a vibrant shade of red. She pulled herself backwards, feeling Joohyun's hands slide off her shoulders and swing by her waist. 

 

 

"Goodnight Kang." She tapped on her holster and traced the buttons up to her collar before leaving.

 

 

Seulgi fell back onto her chair, trying her best to ignore the growing warmth in her cheeks as she poured the rest of the broth down her throat. 

 

 

(But she walked home with a warmth churning within her cheeks and a heat simmering deep within her chest). 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seulrene angst??? take a fuckin sip babes.
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT 08/11/19: 
> 
> I edited a lot of this chapter, hopefully it's easier to read and the dialogue isn't as clunky as it was before. 
> 
>  
> 
> (It's fun to see how much my writing style has changed though!) 
> 
>  
> 
> But let me know what you guys think, and comments and kudos are always appreciated! :)


	2. chapter two

 

 

Seulgi walked into the office as it imploded into senseless arguments and yells. Paper flew into the air as the secretary hissed a curse and slammed her hands onto the table, someone had shattered the coffee pot, brown liquid dripped off the walls while clear shards littered the floor below it.

 

 

"This is ridiculous, are you a fucking adult or a monkey?!" a loud voice boomed from one part of the precinct, "how could you fuck up such a routine examination?!" 

 

 

"How about you take a look at the body!" a voice laced with absolute fury yelled back.

 

 

Seulgi stood among destruction and terror, she took a shaky step backwards, her hand flew to the wall in an attempt to steady herself. She looked among the sea of people and locked eyes with the chief of the precinct, his eyes were weary and the folds around his eyes were pulled downwards and he looked abnormally pale. But he spotted her and his eyes widened with an unmistakable sense of sorrow that sent Seulgi into a frenzy. 

 

 

He pushed passed some distraught interns as he made his way towards her, "Kang?"

 

 

Seulgi felt her lips slam shut and her voice was quickly drowned out, her eyes stared at the newly-waxed floors in hopes that the shine would somehow pull her into a quieter world. 

 

 

"Let's go somewhere quieter," he offered as he gestured towards his office.

 

 

Seulgi moved into the quiet room with hesitance, flinching when the door came to a shaking close.

 

 

He moved to his desk, his hand gestured to the chair weakly, giving her a sympathetic smile.

 

 

She hesitantly moved towards the chair, pushing it back a few inches.

 

 

"It looks like a goddamn mess out there," he said with an awkward chuckle as he barely lifted his head to peak out the window before he sluggishly moved back. 

 

 

Her lips had loosened and if it wasn't for the muscles tying her jaw to the rest of her skull she was sure it would unhook and fall to the ground with a quiet clatter, "Am I getting fired?" 

 

 

His eyes narrowed and he stifled a bitter chuckle, "No- No you aren't." 

 

 

He heaved deeply, settling deeper into his chair as he wiped his face with his calloused hands.

 

 

Seulgi watched as he scooted up to his desk and sighed wearily into his hands before looking up with red tinged eyes.

 

 

After a few minutes of painful silence he spoke, "Detective Bae was found dead this morning." 

 

  
The world had shattered into a startling indigo, the blues of the world seemed to melancholically hum as dark jagged lines split her world.

 

 

" _Bae Joohyun?_ " she asked slowly, her eyes staring at the plot of windows behind him.

 

 

"Yes."

 

 

" _My_ Bae Joohyun?"

 

 

He shifted in his seat slightly, "Yes Kang."

 

 

She took a shaky breath as the gears in her mind began to spin rapidly.

 

 

"Are we sure it's the same person?" she asked quickly.

 

 

"I'm sure Kang."

 

 

Suddenly the gears spun off their dowels, an entire empire of complex mechanics and engineering had halted, some spun off and fell to the ground with a loud clank and left haunting echoes through her mind-scape.

 

 

"Kang?..."

 

 

Her mouth dropped as raspy laughs leapt out of her throat, she slammed herself against the back of her seat as she wiped stray tears from the corner of her eyes before she flung herself forward, bending in the seat as her hands clasped over her mouth, creating a dark mask over her face. Her eyes began to wither as tears rammed against her sclera and began to pour over her eyelids.

 

 

Her skin had decayed to a sickly pale while scarlet bloomed within her eyes. Her laugher died within her throat, its rotting carcass sending putrid fumes up to her mouth.

 

 

The chief cleared his throat as his fingers pressed against each other and dug into each other's flesh. Seulgi had never seen him do that before, his hands were always straight and orderly, he wasn't ever the type to be nervous. 

 

 

"I was thinking it would be best for you to go home," he offered quietly, his voice trailing off and picking back up again, "I could get someone to drive you home, and take care of you."

 

 

Her slender fingers remained clamped tightly over her lips, her nails dug into her cheeks, causing small rivers of blood to trickle downwards and drop from her jawline.

 

 

She blinked slowly and tears rained from above and merged with shades of crimson and vermillion, corrupting the clear liquid. The muffled shouts from outside the office had faded into quiet sobs and Seulgi guessed everyone reacted to death a little differently.

 

 

She looked up slowly, "I'll be fine." 

 

 

* * *

 

 

She stepped into her apartment and it didn't look the same.

 

 

Joohyun phased in and out of the living room and into the kitchen, words of the past spilled out of her mouth while she replied to the forgotten. Time seemed to snag on tragedy and it came crumbling down into her home.

 

 

Seulgi walked past the glitch, her eyes had dulled into a dark charcoal color.

 

 

She stumbled into her bedroom watching as Joohyun filled the room, different clothes tethered onto her pale flesh, in some forms she wore her white button up shirt in others she donned a dark hoodie that obviously didn't belong to her.

 

 

She walked past a Joohyun that must've belonged to June of that year, because a pair of sunglasses sat atop her brown hair while a white t-shirt hung a little above her knees.

 

 

Instantly the smell of flowery perfume and freshly cleaned clothes floated past her nose and wrapped around her neck, it shackled itself to the ceiling and began to constrict around her neck.

 

 

She dropped her bags onto the floor before falling onto her bed, she pulled the blanket over herself, hoping she would drown in the smell of Joohyun's favorite detergent.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 08/11/19: 
> 
> I edited everything again, I think the next chapter will be the last one to be edited. 
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you guys think, comments and kudos are always appreciated! :)


	3. chapter three

_"I'm so tired." she admitted softly._

 

_Seulgi nodded, gulping as Joohyun glanced out the window and then back to her, remnants of rain dripped down her cheekbones and dropped onto Seulgi's pants._

 

_"I know." Seulgi replied, her voice wavering._

 

_Joohyun exhaled deeply, one that must've stretched her lungs to their absolute limit. Her slender fingers ran through her dark hair, pushing it back slightly. Her button up shirt stuck to her skin, her pearly skin showing through the faded fabric, her holsters had been tossed aside, they cried out to their owner, they begged for her to return._

 

_"I want to," she started off strong, but her voice cracked and she trembled as she continued to speak, "Figure this out, so badly."_

 

_Seulgi nodded again, "I know you do."_

 

_Joohyun turned and leaned into the photographer, a storm brew within her eyes, it was weak at the moment but Seulgi could see it was picking up momentum, harsh winds blew within pools of brown. Her head hung above Seulgi's, her eyes ran over her features, settling slowly onto her lips. She towered over the sitting woman as darkness poured over the edges of her body._

 

_Seulgi looked into the storm and wondered how much of herself would get destroyed, and for how long would she allow it?_

 

_"You're a good person Seulgi," Joohyun said, pulling back slightly, "I just hope this world doesn't tear you apart."_

 

_"Let the world tear me apart, as long as you're here I won't mind it." she wanted to say._

 

_"Let's hope." she said instead, with a weak smile._

 

* * *

  

Her hands trembled as they opened up the locker, a searing pain flashed within her eyes as she began to pull things out. She looked to the small coat that hung in the locker, although it seemed small, Seulgi remembered how it hung from Joohyun's small frame.

 

She grasped at the soft fabric, it flowed through her fingers as she pulled it off the hook. She raised the fabric to her nose, the faint scent of perfume wafted up to her nostrils. She nearly whimpered into the fabric, her entire chest aching and tightening all at once. She closed her eyes, an overwhelming sensation of warmth filling her chest, the tightening loosened slowly and the aching began to dissolve into a dull throb.

 

Seulgi heard low shuffling come from behind her, her eyes snapped open. She swung around. Her hand curled tightly around the jacket. A small woman stood near a bench, a dark violet seemed to have perched itself under her large brown eyes.

 

She adjusted her glasses before speaking.

 

"Hey, I'm Jieun."

 

"Hello." Seulgi replied, her voice dropping an octave as her eyes narrowed.

 

An awkward silence filled the space between them, Jieun stared into Seulgi's eyes with slight recognition, Seulgi stared back into the woman's eyes, searching for the sense of familiarity. Staring became too intimate, Jieun could see too much in her eyes, and above all she feared the woman could see Joohyun drowning in her irises.

 

"Is there something you needed?" Seulgi asked.

 

Jieun nodded, "That's my locker."

 

Seulgi stood in front of the blue locker protectively, "This locker is already taken."

 

Jieun turned a slip of paper towards her, in sharp script the number 241 was written. Her head lolled backwards as a groan burst from her lungs and shot up through her throat, curses flew through her mind while her fingers dug and kneaded into the sides of her head.

 

"Go choose another one." she hissed, her head rolling forwards as her stance widened.

 

"You go choose another one." Jieun shot back, her eyebrows were furrowed yet her voice remained calm and quiet, it infuriated Seulgi like nothing else.

 

Seulgi stared at the smaller woman for a few moments, her eyes roaming from head to toe. Anger bit at her skin and caused stinging pains to run up and down her body, she turned away sharply and began to pull the pictures off the walls, she grabbed the few books that littered the bottom of the locker. She dropped them into a large box and began to walk away, huffing as she pressed the box closer to her chest.

 

"Hey," Jieun called out, "You forgot this."

 

"Whoever owned that locker had good taste," she mused, "This is a good book."

 

She waved the book slightly before handing it to Seulgi.

 

"Yeah, she did," she murmured, glancing at the book before placing it into the box, "Thanks."

 

Jieun nodded and turned back to her locker.

 

* * *

  

_"I'm sorry." her voice barely comes out above a whisper, a bird chirped somewhere in the distance as a darkness settled in Seulgi's living room._

_"For what?" she asked, watching Joohyun rest within the darkness, as if it was her home, darkness melted into her skin, it twirled within her veins and settled deep within her heart._

_"I wish you loved someone better." Joohyun murmured. "You are the sun," she said with a slight gasp of amazement, "And you fell in love with the void."_

_Joohyun seemed to crumble, her shoulders fell while her spine curled inwards. Her eyes echoed a loneliness that frightened Seulgi, Joohyun was a stray flower in a sea of weeds. Beautiful and complex, but would get killed along with the retched majority._

_"You know I always loved the things I couldn't understand" Seulgi said with a forced chuckle._

_"You love the things that will only kill you in the end." Joohyun replied, a weary look on her face._

_"Drain me of all my sunlight, leave me a dying star in the abyss. I don't care, I'd consider it blessing to have known you at all."_

_But Seulgi swallowed her words, enduring the burn as she pulled Joohyun into her arms. "Just relax," she murmured into her scalp, closing her eyes as she smelled her shampoo, "You're just stressed out."_

 

* * *

  

Jieun stared at the screen, yawning before typing slowly. A loud error noise came from the computer, an unattractive dialogue box popped up on the screen, informing her of her incorrect password. She groaned, slightly slamming the tips of her fingers onto the keyboard. The yellow light flickered above her, but the bright blue light shot out of the screen and scattered through the dark station.

 

_The world had drifted into a yellow tint, the sweetness of amber and gold blended into a holy mixture. It was as if the individual particles of the world had begun to shake slowly, creating a grainy view of the world._

 

_"Joohyun." a voice murmured behind her._

 

_Jieun wanted to jump, she wanted to shout. But the voice felt so much like home, completely gentle and warm in every way. Her lips parted, her tongue flicked and barely touched the tips of her front two teeth. But her voice didn't belong to her, it was quieter and sweeter, gentle yet containing a depth like no other._

 

_"I forgot my password."_

 

_The voice laughed, "You always forget it. That's why I know it."_

 

_A laugh forced its way out of Jieun's mouth, long arms reached over her shoulders and tapped on the keys._

 

_"It's bhyun1010." the voice said._

 

_She looked up, her neck streching and slightly aching. It was a vulnerable position, the soft flesh of her neck being exposed to whoever was standing over her. But she felt safe. The shades of yellow formed a person before her eyes, the individual gold and lemon colored grains pieced together a sweet smiling photographer._

 

Her eyes were squinted as she looked down. The yellow shattered before her eyes, the grain subsided as quickly as it had come. The woman she had recognized had dissolved into the light.

 

Jieun snapped forwards, gripping onto the desk as she panted, she looked around frantically but the woman and the voice had all faded away.

 

She took a shaky breath before approaching her computer, she slowly tapped on the keys:

 

_bhyun1010_

 

The welcoming noise filled the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I introduced a new character, don't worry though Seulgi still serves as the main protag, and Joohyun remains one of the most, if not the most important character in this story. 
> 
> I wanted to showcase Seulgi and Joohyun's dynamics together in this chapter, I introduced it as playful and innocent in the first chapter but I wanted to explore the more complex and draining sides of their relationship. 
> 
> So enjoy some sick of existing™ Joohyun. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed.


	4. chapter four

 

Seulgi tucked the box closer to her chest as she made her way down the stairs, a heavy gust of wind tumbled into her and the book lying on top of the box flew open, page after page flew wildly in the wind; page after page began to skip in the night breeze.

 

  
Her eyes grazed across the pages, till a flash of blue ink caught her attention.

 

  
_How do we forgive ourselves for all of the things we did not become?_

 

  
Rings and rings of blue circled around the printed sentence, it swung around Seulgi’s vision till she saw more blue than the darkness that devoured the sky.

 

  
Her hand gripped onto the strap of her camera as shaky breaths came tumbling from her lips; her fingers imbedded themselves into the leather as her ribs began to crumble and the tender flesh of her chest tumbled downwards.

 

  
The sound of footsteps flooded her ears and the quiet pit-pat of dog paws smacking against the concrete.

 

  
“Hey,” a voice said softly, “You’re okay, just breathe.”

 

  
Seulgi shut her eyes tightly as the woman’s voice whispered quietly and the familiar pant of a dog filled the cool air around her.

 

  
“Seulgi,” she murmured, “You’re okay- It’s me… It’s just me.”

 

  
Quick breaths fled in and out of her lungs as she opened her eyes again. A familiar navy blue flooded her vision as her eyes slowly travelled upwards.

 

  
Sooyoung’s lips parted slightly while her eyes widened. “Hey.”

 

  
Sooyoung scooped the box from her hands before speaking again. “It’s been a while.”

 

  
Seulgi’s hands instantly flew towards her camera strap, they clung onto the lengthy support as she shook in the cold.

 

  
“Yeah,” she said through a shaky breath, “It has.”

 

  
“You know Seungwan’s worried about you.” Sooyoung said quietly as she rocked on the balls of her feet.

 

  
Seulgi let out a bitter chuckle, “When isn’t she?”

 

  
A limp smile flailed across Sooyoung’s lips, “She’s worried more than usual… You don’t call, you don’t even text us anymore Seul…”

 

  
“I’ve been busy.” Seulgi said quickly, the lie quickly dove between her teeth and crumbled with Sooyoung’s cold gaze.

 

  
She scoffed, “That’s a lie and we both know it.”

 

  
Silence filled the space between them before Sooyoung spoke again. “Why don’t we go out… Get some food, or watch a movie… I don’t care and I know they won’t either- We just want to see you again.”

 

  
Seulgi stared back at the younger woman; Sooyoung never begged and never asked, the world bent to her will alone, it was never the other way around.

 

  

Seulgi was always sure that kerosene ran through her veins instead of blood and a furnace sat where her heart should’ve been.

 

  
Sooyoung had always seemed so much more than human, so much more than a mortal that crumbled; she could carry the world on her back and make it seem divine.

 

  
And yet the flames barely flickered within her dark eyes, a dim spark flickered; but it was nothing compared to the blaze that once swallowed her eyes whole and boiled her pupils in a sea of heat and flame.

 

  
“Please.” she begged softly.

 

  
Seulgi sighed, glancing at her phone before glancing back at the younger woman.

 

  
Seulgi’s eyes brushed over her lightly, looking for the signs of tragedy buried within her skin. Sooyoung had always been a great actress, but the scars of tragedy always buried deep within people, like hand-carved ravines within flesh and bone.

 

  
And Sooyoung looked as if her entire body had been chipped and broken away to reveal a tragic masterpiece, beautifully eroded by the harshities of life.

 

  
“Okay.”

 

  
“Thank God, I thought I was gonna have to drag your ass into my car.” Sooyoung said with a relieving sigh.

 

  
“Like you could.” Seulgi replied as she began to follow after the younger officer.

 

 

“Definitely could,” assured Sooyoung, “It’s been a while since you’ve seen me, I’m hella jacked now.”

 

  
“You’re not the only one.”

 

  
“Haetnim got big.” Seulgi noted as she glanced towards the large dog.

 

  
Sooyoung paused and sighed quietly, pearly smoke twirled from her lips as a bitter smile nudged the curves of her lips.

 

  
And Seulgi saw the cloudy sea that swept over her eyes and plunged them into darkness, any hint of light had already been drowned in a dark melancholy; the happiness had fled faster than it had formed.

 

  
She stared off into the distance before glancing back at Seulgi with a weak smile, “Like I said, it’s been a while Seul…”

 

* * *

  

“Look who I found!” Sooyoung announced as she pushed the creaky door open.

 

  
“Please God not another stray.” a familiar voice said with a groan.

 

  
Sooyoung scowled as she pushed Seulgi deeper into the house, the scent of spices danced gleefully within Seulgi’s nose as she hesitantly approached the living room, it was familiar and all the while completely foreign; she glanced towards the array of pictures that scattered across the walls and Seulgi swore there weren’t this many pictures of Joohyun before.

 

  
She turned towards the coat rack, a black trench coat that was too dark for either Yerim or Seungwan to wear and much too small to belong to Sooyoung, her hand lurched towards the dark fabric, the scent of a familiar fabric softener instantly leapt and kept a steady grip around Seulgi’s throat, even while Sooyoung had pushed her forwards.

 

  
“Oh look who’s alive.” Yeri chirped as she shifted on the couch.

 

  
Seulgi’s lips twitched to form a new smile, one that nearly fit the imprints of the old smiles that once grazed her face. “And look who’s still under five foot three.”

 

  
Yeri grinned as she pulled herself off the couch. “You’re such a dick for ghosting us.”

 

  
“I know, I know.” Seulgi mumbled as she collapsed onto the couch facing Yeri’s.

 

  
“She’s right you know.” Seungwan said as she entered the living room, a loose apron hung from her neck as flour handprints coated the pocket, Seulgi’s glanced towards Yeri’s abnormally powdered hands and chuckled to herself.

 

  
“I know.” Seulgi echoed.

 

  
“But I’m here now, that has to count for something.”

 

  
Seungwan clamped her jaw shut, swallowing the ill replies and snappy remarks that were beginning to bubble within her throat. “It does- It’s good to know you’re alive… It’s reassuring I guess.”

 

  
Seulgi grinned at the shorter woman, “Aw, is that affection?”

 

  
Seungwan groaned yet a smile graced her face. “No- It’s-.”

 

  
“The most bare minimum shit-” Yeri started before Seungwan tossed a pillow into the girl’s face.

 

  
“We all know Seulgi falls for bare minimum love.” Sooyoung said as she reclined deeper into the couch.

 

  
“What can I say, I’m a romantic.” Seulgi mumbled as some of the newer pictures on the wall caught her attention.

 

  
“Correction, a whore.” Yeri said but the words faded to barely a mumble and eventually a white noise that echoed through Seulgi’s skull.

 

  
A picture of the five of them was hung above the couch, Sooyoung and Joohyun stood proudly in their new navy blue officer uniforms while Yeri held her first published article, Seungwan sported her white lab coat with a prideful smile and Seulgi stood with her very first forensic camera hanging loosely from her neck.

 

  
The air had gotten caught within the stringy strands of Seulgi’s throat, her breath hitched only slightly before it all flooded out in one breathy gasp.

 

  
Another picture slammed into her vision, Joohyun again stood with a smirk as flour caked her face and clothes, Seungwan stood beside her with a frown, white powder had been sprinkled across her hair and fell onto her face while Yeri posed with a smile and not a flake of flour on her.

 

  
_Joohyun. Joohyun. Joohyun. Joohyun. Joohyun. Joohyun._

 

  
Seulgi shut her eyes tightly, yet the smell remained pungent and lingered near her nose; the overwhelming scent of lavender and cleanliness swept into her lungs and clenched it tightly. Her warm breath circled over her skin, her flesh exploded into a frenzy of twitches and spasms, and painful twinges of remembrance rippled across her spine.

 

  
A choked sob tumbled from her lips before she clamped her hand over her mouth.

 

  
She felt herself be pulled into a stronger set of arms, she didn’t fight the natural longing that bloomed within her chest; she didn’t fight against Seungwan’s hands slowly rubbing against her thigh and Yeri hugging her from her other side.

 

  
Yet a deep and dark hunger festered within her, she wanted charcoal colored hair to splatter across her face, she wanted to lose herself within clouded eyes and rosy lips. She wanted to drown in linen button ups and hands that were stained with the scent of leather and gun smoke.

 

  
It was unexplainably simple and yet undeniably complex; She wanted to lose herself in a world filled with smirks hidden by firm lips, hot bowls of noodle soup and fingers that were cold by nature but could be nothing but gentle when it came to her.

 

  
The words formed easily within Seulgi’s mind but they rocked within the sea of emotions that filled her skull to the rim, it was nearly buried by the foam of regret that washed over the technicolor shades of her emotions.

 

  
But the words survived and floated to the top.

 

_“I never thought of you with a goodbye, it was always going to be sunny mornings and I'll see you agains… No abrupt endings, no endings at all, just a gentle sway into oblivion.”_

 

* * *

  
Jieun stared back in her screen in fear, confusion began to bubble within her skull as she moved her cursor across the screen.

 

  
Whoever used the computer before her was organized but also seemed to lack in computer skills, the wallpaper was of a very poorly positioned picture of two women; one smiled with both her lips and her eyes while the other had a more firm lipped smile but that had been clouded by the way her eyes gleamed.

 

  
Her heart began to dance to a steady rhythm as her eyes ran over the crescent moon eyed woman, Jieun had no problem calling the woman pretty, even cute. She echoed friendliness and warmth as she clung to the other woman, who Jieun thought contained a great confusion.

 

  
The woman with the darker hair and colder smile seemed so familiar, as if Jieun could trail her fingers across her skin or that she had trailed her fingers over her skin at some point.

 

  
She pried her eyes off the image and sighed before pulling up the case file that was tucked into a digital folder.

 

  
She quickly printed it and wandered around the precinct.

 

  
The scent of faded coffee lingered within the building while the sound of the printer chugging fell alongside her footsteps.

 

  
A door swung open behind her, she turned to face a janitor standing with his mop.

 

  
“What’re you doing here?”

 

  
Jieun laughed nervously as she tugged her badge free. “I’m a detective- I’m allowed here.”

 

  
He gazed at her badge. “Sorry, no one’s been here this late in a long time.”

 

  
She chuckled, “I have a lot of work to do.”

 

  
“I’m sure,” he replied as he began to mop, “But no one except Joohyun stayed this late.”

 

  
The familiar name struck itself deep within Jieun’s chest, she looked to the janitor with eyes blazing with curiosity.

 

  
Jieun glanced around the dark and empty precinct. “I don’t think she’s here today.”

 

  
The janitor looked up with a pained expression, his lips contorted into a bitter grimace. “And she won’t for a while.”

 

  
Curiosity led Jieun closer as her nature as a detective began to fester within her chest.

 

  
“Why? What happened to her?”

 

  
“She died before you got here, I’m guessing you’re the one that replaced her.” he muttered back.

 

  
“How?”

 

  
“Don’t know, they haven’t told anyone.”

 

  
Curiosity urged her forwards.

 

  
“Was she good at her job?”

 

  
The janitor scoffed lightly as he leaned on his mop, “The absolute best, no one could do what she did, and if they could, they could never do it as fast.”

 

  
Curiosity lingered within her throat as she walked closer to the janitor.

 

  
“Do you know what case she was last working on?”

 

  
“He didn’t tell you?” he asked, pointing slightly towards the chief’s office.

 

  
She shook her head.

 

  
“That’s rich,” he said with a laugh, “Here’s a janitor knowing more about a case than a detective.”

 

  
“Yeah, the press would have a field day with that.” Jieun replied with a smile.

 

  
He hummed lightly before speaking again. “The last thing she worked on was the case of those murdered girls.”

 

  
Jieun’s head naturally fell into a cocked stance. “Which girls?...”

 

  
He chuckled to himself, “You got a lot of learning to do.”

 

  
“A couple of months ago a bunch of dead girls were found all over town, their bellies slashed open and their necks all purple and blue. Everyone in town was scared shitless but then Joohyun was put on the case,” he sighed before speaking again, “But it didn’t get better, more girls died and Joohyun never seemed to figure out why or who did it.”

 

  
The printer came to an abrupt stop and a cool silence filled the precinct.

 

  
“One- One second.” Jieun sputtered as she sprinted to the printer, she took the stack of papers and shoved them into a folder before dashing back to her desk.

 

  
She skimmed over the folder, passing page after page of what she assumed to be Joohyun’s theories and possible suspects; a vivid picture caught her eye, her hand faltered and fell weakly to her side as she stared back into the sea of crimson and violet that painted the page.

 

  
She felt a burning cocktail be formed within her chest, one half bitter anger, but that was nothing new, her fury was what had always started the ravenous fire. A few drops of soaking curiosity and one half disgust; which like the anger had never left, it coiled around her ribs and nudged into her heart every time she saw bloodied bodies spilled across the ground. That was the one part she never got used to.

 

  
She gulped and skipped past the page, another bruised and bloody girl covered the page, she skipped again and another girl, she skipped again and again.

 

  
She glanced up from the folder, the darkness had been devoured and instead crimson and violet began to drip and leak into the empty spaces.

 

  
“Joohyun was dealing with one hell of a demon.” she croaked, and the sound of agreement echoed from the man as he shuffled further down the hall.

 

  
The circling of a girl’s picture caught her attention; a single word written in blue ink with erratic and sharp letters filled the page, she could only assume it was Joohyun’s handwriting.

 

  
_Find. Find. Find. Find. Find. Find._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you enjoyed this chapter, comments and upvotes are always greatly appreciated :). 
> 
> I have nothing to say for myself, it’s been a long time since I’ve updated but here you go, traumatized!Seulgi and nosy!Jieun.


	5. chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will include descriptions of violence.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Seungwan asked softly as she helped pull a dark coat onto Seulgi.

 

  
She nodded and sighed, “Sometimes I, uh, just get caught up in all of it. I just get stuck back there, but I’m _here_ now. I’m _okay_.”

 

  
Seungwan cupped her cheeks and stared into Seulgi’s eyes, the white in her eyes had been engulfed by a burning red as tears dried. “You’re not here Seul, you’re still back there-”

 

  
“No,” Seulgi croaked as she clung onto Seungwan’s arms, “don’t say that- I’m here, I’m here- I know I am.”

 

  
Shaky breaths rattled out of her corroded lungs as she cried softly, “I don’t want to go back there, she’s there- And I- I. Can’t. I can’t leave if she’s there.”

 

  
“You never left.” Seungwan shook her head softly as she wiped a stray tear off her cheek, “you’re still there.”

 

  
She let out a shaky breath as she began to crumble, her head dropped into the crook of Seungwan’s shoulder. “I don’t know how to get out…”

 

  
She engulfed Seulgi into a hug, her hands clasped onto her sharp shoulder blades as she felt Seulgi sob into her shoulder, steaming tears running down her cheeks and soaking her shirt. “We’re gonna find a way out together. Okay?”

 

 

* * *

 

  
  
The memory tasted fresh on her weary tongue; she walked down a dark hallway that was devoid of a familiar lavender scent and instead the pungent scent of cheap and dirty alcohol claimed it; she stumbled past a dirty mirror, ignoring the blazes of red that ignited within her eyes and the puffs of grief that filled out her face as she collapsed onto her unmade bed.

 

  
_She sat on an uneven stone, her sun-kissed legs folded and her arms carrying the weight of her head._

 

  
_She was ten years old, all skin and bone that held crescent-moon eyes and wide smiles. She was eight years old, even smaller but not any less cheery, when she met ten-year old Bae Joohyun._

 

  
_Her hair was knotted at the ends and mud was caked across her pale knees, but her voice was low and she hid behind her mother’s long legs._

 

  
_But Seulgi thought she was beautiful, not in the way flowers were beautiful or the way her father called her mother beautiful; she was beautiful when she sprinted across fields with flowers tucked behind her ears and when she finally shouted with a voice that rivaled every single one of their teachers; she was beautiful with her hair splayed across her forehead as rain poured. She was beautiful with her bright yellow boots and a matching raincoat as she ran down alleys and jumped into puddles._

 

  
_She watched Joohyun pluck flowers from the ground, a light shot from the dark lush that covered the skies, the light scattered and danced across her fingertips as she dug deep into the dry dirt._

 

  
_“I’m almost done Seul.” Joohyun plucked a few more flowers and stood up with a wide grin._

 

  
_Seulgi felt a heat build within her fluffy cheeks, the ones that Joohyun pinched when she talked with a mouth full of food. She brushed her hair behind her ear, careful not to push the dandelion that Joohyun had gently placed behind her ear._

 

  
_But the flower dropped from her ear and onto her lap and she could almost hear Joohyun’s voice drop from a shout into a gentle whisper, “You’re so messy.”_

 

  
_She quickly tried to place the flower back, but her fingers were too strong and too swift, the stem was crushed and sticky nectar flooded over the edges of her fingers; she groaned before a loud scream ripped her attention from the flower._

 

  
_Seulgi shot off the stone as she stared into the woods, a dark figure stood above Joohyun’s shaking body._

 

  
_She sprinted forwards, her feet slammed into the ground and sent dirt flying as she let out a scream that was more akin to a war-cry._

 

  
_But warriors are so much more than skin and bone, they’re fury coiled within taut muscles and heavy bones, and she was not coiled fury, she was sunshine captured in a bottle._

 

  
_He gripped onto Seulgi’s collar, and tossed her towards the base of a tree, a loud crack shook the empty forest and she didn’t know if it has echoed from her head smacking against bark or from her now awkwardly bent left arm._

 

  
_Joohyun let out another ear-splitting screech before being thrown into the dark bushes, Seulgi forced herself up, her legs shook as she sprinted forwards again and she threw her all her weight into his torso and sent him tumbling into the dry dirt._

 

  
_Even with every punch and every crack that resonated from her bones she didn’t let go, she clung onto his legs and then pinned his arms behind his back and then moved around onto his torso._

 

  
_But after a few minutes, bright shades of crimson began to leak into her vision and her grip began to loosen, but a flurry of footsteps flooded behind her and eventually a woman pulled her from him and gently handed her to two terrified girls._

 

  
_A little girl pulled her into her lap, her eyes were warm and kind, they were pools of the sun’s warmth and Seulgi thought she and her must’ve came from the same Sun._

 

  
_She whispered into her ear, “You’re gonna be alright okay? You’re gonna be just fine.”_

 

  
_“My name’s Seungwan,” the girl murmured as she clung onto Seulgi’s limp hand._

 

  
_Seulgi let out a ragged breath, she began to pant before weakly pointing to the bushes, “Joohyun,”_

 

  
_She gasped as blood trickled down her lips, “Is she okay?”_

 

  
_Seungwan glanced at the girl sitting beside her, “Go look Sooyoung.”_

 

  
_She nodded and walked towards the bushes, she parted the leaves to find a limp girl hidden by the branches._

 

  
_“Miss. Shon,” Sooyoung called out hesitantly, “there’s another girl here.”_

 

  
_Seungwan glanced back at her, and gently wiped the blood off her lip, “You did such a good job protecting her.”_

 

  
_Despite blood staining her teeth she gave Seungwan a weak smile, “My name’s Seulgi.”_

 

  
_Sooyoung slipped her hands under the pale girl’s frame, her fingers ran across bony shoulder blades and a spine that pressed against her skin with a pristine point. She grunted quietly as she lifted the girl from the bushes and walked back towards them._

 

  
_“Is this your friend?” Sooyoung asked as she lowered her onto the ground._

 

  
_Seulgi let out a sharp gasp as she tried to turn in Seungwan’s lap, her eyes flew across Joohyun’s limp body, her right eye looked as if it was colored in with a cheap purple marker, the unnaturally vibrant hue had spilled over the right side of her face while blood trickled down a deep cut that ran down her plump right cheek._

 

  
_Seulgi glanced at her hands, they were stained with the dull colors of the flowers that were now scattered around them; she let out a soft cry as she stretched her neck to rest her forehead against hers._

 

  
_“You saved her Seulgi,” Seungwan reassured her._

 

  
_“No- No I wasn’t strong enough.” Seulgi’s face crumpled into a mess of bloody tears and tanned skin being flushed out by a melancholic shade of red._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Seulgi wasn’t skin and bone anymore, underneath her clean button-ups were tense muscles that lined the walls of her body; and for the first time she was more than sunshine caught within a bottle, there was an unmistakable fury that could not belong to something as sweet as the Sun.

 

  
(And yet it wasn’t enough to save her, she wasn’t enough to save her then and she wasn’t enough now).

 

  
A strangled cry stumbled from her mouth had collapsed onto her pillow as hot tears ran down her cheeks and soaked her pillow.

 

  
_She wasn’t enough._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jieun stared at the cluttered files that were scattered across her desk, Joohyun’s thin and messy handwriting filled every page with notes to herself that could only mean nothing to any other person.

 

  
The sweet sound of birds chirping filled her skull alongside endless pictures of innards swept across hot pavement all highlighted by a sickly colored yellow light; while the vivid color of lilac and dark indigo flooded in, coloring the sky like they had colored in the pale throats of a few innocent girls.

 

  
She huffed quietly before stuffing every bloody and bruised photo into the folder while she did her best to ignore the pictures of smiling girls whose throats were filled with the sun’s light, without a single bruise and without blood stains tainting their pure flesh like messy brushstrokes across a painting. 

 

  
They all seemed so perfect before hell festered and burst through the cracks of their town; and Joohyun seemed to be the only person who knew why.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mainly revolving around Seulgi, I wanted to further develop her relationship with Joohyun and build up some history with Seungwan and Sooyoung, Yerim wasn’t included this chapter but her backstory will be explained soon ;). There should be more Jieun centered chapters coming soon, one’s that revolve around the investigation. ;) 
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you guys think, and comments and kudos are always appreciated! :)


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